While villagers said the man’s death was cold blooded murder by the police, authorities said he died in a gun fight with a rival. The man was an alleged liquor smuggler.

Police said the man, Munna Nuniya, got into a gunfight with a rival on Tuesday night. (Reuters File/Image for representative purpose only)

A mob in Bihar’s Katihar district on Wednesday vandalised the Barsoi police station after an alleged liquor smuggler was gunned down in an “encounter” with the police late on Tuesday night.

The police, however, refuted the claims and said the liquor smuggler, Munna Nuniya, 22, was killed in a gunfight with his rival. Soon after the information of Munna’s death spread in the area, hundreds of people gathered at the police station and started pelting stones.

Munna, a resident of Beldar village, allegedly smuggled liquor from West Bengal. On Tuesday night, he had an altercation with his rival that turned violent with the two exchanging fire. Nuniya died in the firing, the police said. Besides demanding adequate compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, villagers also sought stern action against the policemen responsible for the death.

“When we heard gunshots from the BD College area, we rushed to the spot and found a body lying on the streets. The culprit had managed to escape,” a cop said on condition of anonymity. Barsoi sub-divisional police officer Pankaj Kumar said, “We are looking into the matter.”

A senior police officer, refusing to be identified, said, “Such incidents along the West Bengal border are instigated by liquor smugglers from the neighbouring state. They recruit men and later push them into liquor smuggling, which is a quite a lucrative trade these days in Bihar.”